Free Run
by barrel7
Summary: Something is destroying G.U.N military bases and stealing Chaos Emeralds. I'll give you three guesses.
1. Distant Words

This story has a bit of gore so the T rating applies here.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

Chapter 1: Distant Words

Private Brian Shields was looking out the window of the supply van, watching as the sunset turned the desert sands to a rusty red. He wondered idly about what time he'd get home. His wife was already enraged about the last two times he was late and by the look of the sky, tonight wouldn't be any different. Haunting images of his wife's reaction to yet another nightly return danced through his head. He'd have to borrow a phone once they got to base. Not calling home was tantamount to sin in Ellen's book.

Shields sighed quietly and leaned his head against the window. He hoped his bid for reassignment would work. Even a desk job was preferable to being stuck in a clunky old truck day in and day out. Every day it was the same. It was always cramped and sweaty and G.U.N wasn't the type of organization that sprung for radios. Well actually they did but not the type of radios that played catchy tunes to break up the monotony of a sweltering desert drive. Yeah, Shields thought he could take on a mountain of paperwork if it meant he could work somewhere with air conditioning.

The better hours would be great too. He knew Ellen and the kids would appreciate it. Right about now he should be listening to little June explain all the things she learned today. Her heartfelt enthusiasm was something Shields adored. Then, Pete would regale them with what creepy slimy things he'd found. Ellen would reprimand him, saying something like "not at the table" or "not while we're eating". After that, Shields would have to make a smart remark (or stupid remark, choose your preference) which was usually about what the spaghetti resembled. That always earned him a look that made the kids laugh. Then-

"Hey Shields, you dozin' off on me over there."

Shields nearly jumped out of his seat at the voice. The steady rhythm of the motor had been putting him to sleep.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly to the driver, Private Brook.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Just means I get a free nap when it's _your_ turn to drive. And maybe a free coffee and a new set of shoes. I mean it hurts my feelings to think that my company is so boring that it sends you off to dreamland." Brook puts on a mock injured expression before falling into hooting laughter. Shields chuckled along with him. Brook was the only thing he'd miss about the job. He just hoped that when he was replaced it would be by someone Brook liked. He'd never hear the end of it otherwise.

"I'm just kidding. We're almost there anyway." He took a long pull from his cigarette before breathing out. "Few more miles and we can all get some shuteye."

"Thank goodness for that," Shields said, yawning. Who knew sitting in a truck all day could be so tiring. "You think we can get old Cruthers to skimp on some protocol this time?"

Brook didn't answer. He was squinting at the horizon with a look of dire concentration.

"What's wrong?" Shields asked in concern.

"Look there," Brook pointed to where a thin gray stream was rising into the sky. "What do you make of that?"

"Smoke? It's coming from the direction of the base." Now Shields was worried.

"Thought so." Brook pushed down on the accelerator, trying to coax some speed out of the bulky supply van.

"You think they botched a test."

"I wouldn't put it past the kooks." Brook answered in disgust. "Too obsessed with their little experiments to notice if their ass is on fire."

It didn't take long for them to pull up to the front of the base. Or at least what was left of it.

The G.U.N desert research lab had been a top of the line facility with many multi-storied buildings outfitted with the latest technology. It _had_ hosted hundreds of military and non-military projects with the best equipment and testing areas money could buy. The utmost security **had been** used to protect the important tasks of the base including automated defenses and a round the clock guard of G.U.N soldiers.

The base was leveled.

There was only a layer of smoking debris to testify where it had once stood. Whether it was masonry or metal, all that could be recognized were charred heaps. Where precision machinery had been there was only indecipherable mounds. Where comfortable work tables and chairs had been there was only dust. Where stacks of research material had been there was only puffs of smoke. Nothing was left.

For an eternal moment all they could do was stare, caught up in the shock of catastrophe. Finally, Brook cut the engine and got out. Shields followed his lead. They carefully stepped over the barbed wire fence that had surrounded the base. Shields couldn't help but think of how flimsy it must have seemed to whatever did this.

The two made a steady trek through the wreckage, climbing over cement chunks and avoiding broken glass and fires where they could. It felt surreal to be crossing familiar paths and roads that were so jarringly different; to walk through spaces where buildings should have been. Shields almost convinced himself that it was all a bad dream until some embers fell on his hand and told him it was most definitely reality.

"You think a twister hit?"

"It's been clear skies for three days."

"Yeah but…" Shields wanted to believe that something explainable had caused this. The alternative was just too… terrifying.

"Oh, hell."

"What is it? Brook!"

The other soldier was sprinting over the broken ground, heading for one of the only walls still relatively intact.

"Hey wait!" Shields yelled, racing after him. "You don't know if it's-," his words were cut off as he fell face first into a puddle of who-knows-what. He burbled a curse into the mysterious liquid before jumping to his feet. Brook was nowhere in sight. Shields ran off in the direction he'd been heading, hoping to catch sight of his partner. He did so once he came around the wall, but immediately stopped.

They'd found the bodies.

It couldn't be helped. Shields crouched over and proceeded to puke his guts out, continuing to retch even after his stomach was empty. Brook came over and patted his back until he was done, then took a closer look at each of the bodies. He was presumably looking for any signs of life, but Shields wondered why he bothered. After all, they were torn to pieces.

Body parts were thrown all over the place and blood smeared everything. The corpses were barely recognizable but Shields could roughly make out who was who. He almost wished the carnage was worse. At least then he could pretend the lifeless husks were strangers and not people he had known and worked with. Close to where he was still crouching was the head and face of Cruthers, the annoyingly strict command officer. He was friendly to everyone when he wasn't doing his job and was always ready for a laugh. Shields knew for a fact that he had a grandchild on the way.

He felt like puking again.

Stumbling to his feet, he carefully went over to where Brook was examining a body.

"What do you think did this?" He had to get his mind on something else, something he could do or he'd go mad.

"I don't know," Brook said, shrugging. "Something sharp. Something fast."

"Something ruthless."

"…Yeah…"

They were silent, neither knowing what to do next. That's when they heard it. It was barely a whisper and was too far away for the speaker to be seen, but they heard it. In the silence of the killing ground the two words rang out like bell tolls.

"Chaos Control."


	2. Something Horribly Wrong

I just started college so the updating for this story may be sporadic. Anyway, hope you like the chapter. I made a few tweaks after I uploaded this but if there are any glaring mistakes feel free to tell me.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series characters.

Chapter 2: Something Horribly Wrong

High heeled boots clicked down the red bathed corridors at a break neck pace. They joined in the cacophony of blaring alarm calls, shouted warnings and poorly aimed gun shots. The intruder couldn't help but take a fleeting glance behind. Every physically intimidating goon this facility could produce was hot in pursuit. The intruder ran faster. That damn window had to be close. A couple more turns and it would be a clear path to freedom. The intruder turned each corner sharply with a grace that the bulky pursuers couldn't hope to mimic. It bought a few precious seconds and in that time the intruder came to the hall with the tantalizing window.

Too bad there was a seven foot mound of muscle and arrogance standing right in front of it with a gun. He wore a cocky smirk that clearly said "gotcha". With both exits blocked it was almost inevitable that the intruder would surrender. Almost. The intruder nearly giggled at the big man's face. He certainly hadn't expected such a well caged target to keep running at the same flurried pace. He shot, training overriding surprise but the small bodied intruder slid at the last moment and went straight through the big man's legs. Without a pause the intruder flipped upright and vaulted out the window shattering the glass in the process. For a weightless moment the world was a sea of black filled with shimmering shards.

Amidst the midnight black the intruder's sharp eyes caught sight of a rope ladder. It was swinging wildly in the winds of a hovering helicopter and was too far for the arc of the jump to reach.

In all likelihood the intruder would plummet to the ground and be crushed by the impact. The goons would pick up the pieces and casually "dispose" of them, once again safe in their obscurity. The intruder would be nothing more than a memory. An "almost was", an amateur in over their head, nothing more than a mediocre thief who took one leap too many.

The intruder laughed.

Wide bat wings unfurled from the intruder's back and with a few strong beats the space to the ladder was crossed. With a firm grasp on the rung the intruder tore off the dark mask to reveal two white pointed ears.

Rouge watched in amusement as the goons jockeyed for a spot at the window, trying to get a shot at the now out of reach intruder. Rouge blew her would be captors a kiss before shimmying up the ladder.

"Thanks for the lift boys," she said, sitting precariously on the edge of the compartment.

A gray haired man with mismatched eyes and a stiff military dress nodded to her.

"Please take a seat Agent Rouge," the Commander said.

"Don't mind if I do."

She sat in the only available seat, next to a heavily armored robot with glowing red optics.

"Hey big guy. Long time no see."

"…"

"What's with the silent treatment?" There was no anger in her voice, just mild curiosity.

"…Apology proffered."

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"Apology proffered." The robot's computerized monotone couldn't convey emotion, yet somehow left the impression that he was nervous.

"Apologizing for what?"

"Apology proffered."

"Oh now I remember." She snapped her fingers then beamed a shining smile to her companion. "I was at the most delicate part of the operation, nothing I couldn't handle but then an extremely _loud_ voice of _someone_ came over my transmitter and alerted every guard within a twenty foot radius of my position."

"…Apology proffered."

"Oh, ease up Omega. I forgive you." She waved her hand casually, still smiling. "Just don't let it happen again."

"…Affirmative."

The Commander made no motion through the odd exchange, but now that the tension was resolved (hopefully) he cleared his throat to speak.

"Did you succeed in your mission?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am," Rouge winked coyly as she pulled out a compact disk and handed it to the Commander.

"Good work," he stashed the disk in some hidden pocket of his jacket. "Now for your next assignment."

"Can't a girl ever get a break," Rouge sighed.

"I assure you this mission is of the utmost importance. The reason we came to get you personally is because of the fragile nature of the situation."

Rouge creased her brow. A situation that required the personal attention of the Commander was nothing to sneeze at.

"We believe that Agent Shadow has gone rogue…Where are you going." Rouge had reopened the door and was preparing to jump out. Neither of the compartments other passengers made a move to stop her.

"Honestly, you came all the way out here to tell me that Shadow is having a tantrum. I have more important things to do than play babysitter to an overemotional hedgehog."

"This is a serious matter and we have information that proves it… there's a death count."

That caught her attention. She never took Shadow for an entirely controlled person, but she'd thought he'd gotten over the whole homicidal thing.

"Omega, what do you think?"

"More data is required before an optimal action can be initiated."

"I'll take that as a "Don't be hasty" kind of thing. Fine, it's not like all the jewelry stores are closed yet anyway." She sauntered back to her seat and sat down as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you," the Commander pressed a button on his armrest and a screen folded out of the ceiling.

"This is some salvaged footage of the attack."

He pressed another button and the screen played… for literally two seconds before the screen was black again. Rouge blinked and gave the Commander a questioning look.

"The footage was severely damaged. This was all we could recover. I'll slow it down so it's more coherent."

The screen lit up again and this time stayed that way. There was what looked like a lab with a couple people in white coats moving in slow motion. What happened next was hard to describe. It looked as if something passed through but even at the slow speed it was impossible to see what it was. The only evidence of its passing was the flying papers sucked up in an invisible wind and the startled faces of the lumbering scientists. Next, a strange machine at the far right of the camera was broken into and…it all turned white.

"That machine," the Commander said as the screen refolded, "was a prototype engine that would utilize the power of a Chaos Emerald to create energy."

"Let me guess. There was an Emerald inside when this happened and now it's missing. _Supposedly_ stolen by Shadow."

"Is there any other creature that can use a Chaos Blast like that."

"…No. So what did you do?"

The Commander's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"The last time something like this happened it was because G.U.N had twitchy trigger fingers."

"This attack was completely unprovoked. No one has any idea as to what Shadow's motives are."

"Fine," Rouge shrugged, "I suppose we'll know soon enough."

"We're here," the helicopter pilot said. Rouge looked out a small window and saw a city scape underneath them.

"Station Square?"

"Yes. It was the last place we tracked Shadow to before we lost him. A few sentries have managed to spot him but couldn't give an exact location. He's still in the city but we don't know any more than that."

Rouge sighed, "So we're looking for a hedgehog in a haystack. Great."

"Target energy signature: GC-217. Sensors tuned to Agent Shadow. Probability of encounter increased thirty percent. "

"That'll help, but this is still a lot of wing work for one night. Shouldn't I be paid overtime?"

The Commander chose not to comment, instead opening the door as Rouge and Omega took their positions.

"Use the transmitters if you need backup," the Commander said. Despite the roar of the wind he could still be heard without raising his voice. "The city has been placed on high alert and the residents moved to secure shelters. Given that I would appreciate a lack of property damage."

"Omega?" Rouge cast an amused glance at her companion.

Omega looked from one to the other.

"Secondary priority initiated. Designation: optional."

"Good enough. Good luck team."

They jumped and for a while were stuck in free fall as the sky rushed upwards. Slowly, Rouge began to open her wings, letting the drag slow her fall. Omega did the same with his thrusters. Once close enough to ground Rouge fully extended her wings and broke out of the dive in a graceful arc. She skimmed over the ground, then with a couple wing beats pulled up to land soundlessly on the pavement. Omega, on the other hand, crashed into the ground with the force of a sledgehammer, making two distinct holes in the road. He walked out of the dents without damage, his powerful shock absorbers able to take the impact as easily as a walk down the stairs.

"Looks like priority number two isn't going to last long."

Omega gave an almost sheepish look at his handiwork.

"Collateral damage: negligible. Finding Shadow is top priority."

Omega hurried forward with Rouge falling into a glide beside him.

"Ah well, not my tax money."

* * *

Shadow felt horrid. Take the most disgusting, gut wrenching feeling on Earth and it was more horrible than that. The worst of it was he had no idea _why_ he felt this way. He remembered feeling something…twist and then a weird spike in Chaos Energy. After that it was like all the receptors for pain, confusion, and general torture had gone off in his head. He leaned on the wall of the alley he'd taken refuge in and slid to the ground in a heap. It didn't help much but at least there was no chance of falling over again. Not long after the pain had started, Shadows eyesight had been… erratic. At random intervals, the world would spin, blur, or just white out. He gave a low growl. Figures, he couldn't just feel terrible but had to go blind as well. And now G.U.N was after him for who knows what. He'd been able to destroy most of the robots that were after him by tapping into Chaos energy, but every time he did so his eyesight got worse. There was something wrong and whatever it was it did a good job of making him miserable.

His breathing was getting ragged now. He hadn't been this drained since falling through the Earth's atmosphere. He drew on more energy and immediately the pain lessened, but the alley started to whirl in a dizzying pattern of colors that probably shouldn't have been there. There was definitely a connection between Chaos Energy and what was happening to him. Almost like-

His ears perked as he caught the sound of screaming coming from the mouth of the alley. He stood faster than he'd thought possible. Images of yelling soldiers and claustrophobic glass rushed through his head. It didn't matter what state he was in. He wasn't going to get caught again. No matter what, he wouldn't let it happen. No matter what.

* * *

"Haven't you found him yet?" Rouge asked. She'd opted for sitting on Omega's shoulder rather than keep flying.

"Optimal radar range: 100 feet. Estimated time of complete search at constant speed is six hours. Suggested action: patience."

Rouge ignored the last statement.

"The whole night ahead and I'm stuck tracking a hedgehog with my mechanical bloodhound."

Omega gave an indignant _breep_ at that but Rouge's attention had been caught by a store they were passing. She jumped off Omega's shoulder and glided over to it, forcing the robot to stop.

"Well, well, well, what have we here." Rouge was leaning against the glass of a pawn shop where a dazzling black gemstone was glittering in the moonlight.

"Top priority mission in progress. Time constricted. No distractions." Omega started releasing and resealing his arm mounted machine guns in a motion that might have been seen as intimidating, but which Rouge knew to mean the robot was simply getting impatient.

"I know, but maybe on the way back we can do some window shopping."

"Chaos Spear!"

Omega and Rouge reacted at the same time, both leaping out of the way as a band of sizzling energy arced into the unfortunate pawn shop.

"Now Shadow. Is that any way to greet a friend?"

Shadow stood, barely visible, in the mouth of an alley his crimson eyes narrowed to slits.

"You're no friends of mine."

"Come now. Are you in the whole amnesia mode _again_? You should really have that checked."

Shadow didn't respond, instead he threw another Chaos Spear which Rouge dodged deftly.

"Agent Shadow," Omega was in full offensive array with every hidden weapon come to fore. "Surrender or we will be forced to use excessive measures to complete priority."

"Yeah Shadow, we're your friends. If we need to bash your skull in to make you see reason, we will."

Even Shadow in his unstable state could see the lack of logic in that sentence and he shook his head at the bat.

"You have ten seconds to cease resistance."

"Don't bother counting." Shadow rushed at Omega and the robot barely had enough time to put up his guard before a heavy kick sent him skidding backwards.

"Whoa. Someone's been taking their vitamins." Rouge hadn't expected Shadow to go all out on them. This might be harder than she'd thought.

Omega was still in a defensive stance, which Shadow took advantage of to jump on the robot's head and leap upwards towards Rouge. The sudden change of opponents surprised her, but she managed to get out of the way of a direct attack. A passing kick from Shadow caught her wing however, and sent her spiraling to the ground. Both attackers were on the down now as Shadow landed.

"Let's take care of this once and for all."

Shadow got into a running stance and rushed forward with all his might…straight into a wall. He then rebounded like a spiky soccer ball and collapsed onto his back. Rouge blinked and Omega did the mechanized version of a double take.

"Are we sure he single handedly took out a fortified military base?" Rouge asked as she poked the now unconscious hedgehog with the tip of her boot.

"…Conflicting data."

"Well at least we can take him back now. It doesn't look like he'll come to for-,"

Rouge yelped as a hand grabbed her ankle and threw her sideways. Shadow rose in a blur and dashed away.

"Halt!" Omega fired, but Shadow was already out of range. The robot let his weapons drop knowing he couldn't catch up with his speedy target. He went over to where Rouge had collided with a street lamp. Omega did some computations and decided that by the time Rouge woke up, Shadow would have escaped. He picked her up, being careful of his sharpened fingers and gently lay her on a bench, before racing off after the fleeing hedgehog.


	3. Too Slow

Like I said, it'll be sporadic. I couldn't get this chapter out of my head, so I had to write it and that's why it's so early. I've got a project now though so the next one will probably take a while. At one point the text will be in italics and that means it is a flash back.

Thanks to Cstan and Amia8 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic characters.

Chapter 3: Too Slow

Shadow stood still in the middle of the road, trying to catch his breath. He'd stopped pulling Chaos energy as soon as he'd gotten away from the fight and now all the pain was flooding back, so that it was hard to even think. He knewwhat was happening now. He was seeing and hearing things that weren't there every time he drew on Chaos energy. When he ran into the wall he had been sure there was a group of G.U.N soldiers there taking aim at him. It was a no win situation. He couldn't let himself keep hallucinating but he couldn't keep feeling like he'd gone through a shredder either. He let a little energy trickle in just to take the edge off.

So Shadow had two choices. One: go insane from the pain. Two: go insane from an unpredictable energy of unimaginable power that had suddenly decided to play mind games. Great.

It was in the midst of his utterly dismal decision that Shadow heard it, a soft whistling, like wind being forced around a fast moving object. It was coming from above.

Shadow dove just in time to avoid being crushed. He turned the action into a roll that got him back on his feet. As he faced this new threat, he almost thought it was Omega, but then the illusion disappeared and he attacked.

* * *

Omega had climbed to the rooftops, estimating that finding Shadow would be easier from a higher vantage point. That was when he'd seen the hedgehog stopped in the center of road. The opportunity was too good to miss. Omega jumped from the closest edge, hoping to gain the advantage of surprise, and landed straight on his target.

Or he would have if Shadow hadn't dodged. Something must have given him away because the hedgehog evaded the attack then sprung into one of his own. Omega got out of the way this time rather than be subjected to his target's momentum. Whatever had caused Shadow's former mishap didn't seem to be affecting him anymore, as he instantly changed direction and rammed into Omega's torso. The hit only succeeded in sliding the two away from each other. They both froze waiting for the other to move.

"Not going to give up?"

"Negative."

"Hmph," Shadow smirked, "We'll see."

Shadow tucked into a ball and started spinning, building speed until he shot forward like a gyrating bullet, carving up cement as he went. Omega, too slow to get out of the path, instead used his thrusters to get above it. Shadow was undeterred, jumping out of the spin and using a wall as a springboard to readjust to the airborne robot. His aim was off however, and Omega watched as the hedgehog missed by inches and slammed into a car parked on the curb.

As the car alarm bellowed Omega landed and hurried to jump on the hood of the car before Shadow could get out of. The roof bent inwards somewhat and Omega started spearing it with sharpened hands until it looked like Swiss cheese. A flurry of activity from inside the car sounded out Omega's lack of success. A crash from the back window signaled the hedgehog's escape.

Omega rounded on him, machine guns at the ready, but Shadow knew what was coming. The hedgehog spun underneath an adjacent truck before Omega could take aim. Instead of blindly shooting at the truck, and hoping a bullet passed through, Omega took hold of the bumper and flipped the whole thing over. The truck crashed into the car behind it blocking Shadow's escape route and forcing the hedgehog to skid to a halt. Omega took his chance and fired, but only managed to clip a spine before Shadow ducked into an alley. The robot rushed to the opening, but quickly discovered that he was too wide to pass through. Omega made some split second calculations as the hedgehog got further away. If he tried to find a way around, Shadow would gain too much distance, or worse would set up an ambush.

Omega's right hand changed to a wide mouthed barrel. A targeting system appeared in his vision and he carefully set the coordinates to Shadow. The system said TARGET LOCKED and a missile shot forward in a veil of smoke.

With a brief glance behind, Shadow saw the threat and jumped. His hands caught the bottom rung of a fire escape and he used it to swing upwards. The missile attempted the tight turn but only managed to change its trajectory enough to hit the overhanging roof of the building. The resulting explosion tore up part of both structures, sending bricks and mortar every which way.

The fire escape started to unhinge, half its support gone and the other being threatened by debris. Shadow was already moving, walking along the rail before jumping at the wall. For a gravity defying moment, the hedgehog was running sideways, the world falling to pieces behind him. He started spinning, the momentum keeping him airborne. He was heading straight for Omega now, ricocheting from wall to wall in ever increasing speed. Then-

Everything went up in a cloud of dust as two missiles fell from the sky. They hit the top corners of each building, sending the already unstable structures into total collapse. With a rumble reminiscent of an earthquake the walls fell in a wave of smoking rock. Clouds of dust obscured the area. There was no sign of Shadow.

A silence pervaded the area. The type of silence that only comes after a thunderous noise has stilled.

Omega lowered his arms so that they were aimed at the rocky mounds. The smoking wide barrels were replaced by machine guns. The robot scanned the area for movement and found none. There was an eighty percent chance that Shadow had been buried. He let his arms fall.

A loud buzzing sound warned him of his mistake almost instantly. He didn't even have a chance to raise his weapons before the black buzz saw rocketed out of the dust cloud and bore a hole through his shoulder. Omega's balance was thrown off by the hit and he staggered after Shadow punched through. The hedgehog took advantage of this and with a low leg sweep sent the robot crashing to the ground.

Omega knew he was in trouble as soon as his legs went out from under him. Once he fell he heard the beginning of the end.

"Chaos-,"

* * *

It was madness. Shadow's sight and hearing were being assaulted by sounds and images that didn't even make sense anymore. Every thought and feeling was scrambling inside him for supremacy and were tearing into and assaulting each other in the process. It was like the threads of his reality were being torn from their skein and scattered in the wind. Even as his consciousness tried to reign in the rampant insanity he knew there was only one way out. There was only one way for it to all make sense. Only one way to understand the Chaos.

All it would take was letting go of something that Shadow had held onto throughout his entire existence. Something that had weathered through the doubt, the confusion, the rage. Something that had kept him grounded to who he was even as memory and circumstances had constantly changed.

He held on.

* * *

His computerized optics picked up every detail of what happened next, but Omega's processors couldn't comprehend it all until afterwards.

Shadows face had contorted into a grimace of pain and then the nearly formed Chaos Spear in his hand…imploded. That was the only word Omega could find for it. The energy had seemed to fall in on itself with a force that sent Shadow flying backwards for at least fifty feet and skidding across the pavement for an equal distance. The hedgehog hadn't moved after that.

Omega slowly got to his feet, unsure of what had just happened. He waited a full five minutes before approaching his target, not wanting to make the same mistake as before. When he did get closer he noticed with relief that Shadow was still breathing. He looked like he'd stumbled through a mine field but at least he was alive.

With a whirring click, Omega turned on his transmitter.

"E123-Omega, reporting to G.U.N Commander."

There was a brief static buzz and then the Commander's voice came on.

"What's your status Omega."

"Priority One: capture Shadow the Hedgehog. Complete."

"Good. The containment chamber is on the way."

* * *

Rouge woke up with her head pounding like someone had used it for drum practice. As she sat up it took her a moment to remember where she was. When she did, it all came back in a rush.

"Shadow and Omega!"

She took to the air with a flurry of wing flaps, which quickly turned out to be a bad idea as the sky and ground spun around in an attempt to switch places. She landed quickly and walked until her brain readjusted to being awake. Once the world was in its proper order, she was once again in the air, searching the city for her lost teammates.

* * *

Omega sat on the curb as he waited for the G.U.N units to arrive. He cast a glance at his unconscious target who was breathing in a harsh cadence that bespoke of his injuries. Once again his processor brought up the contradiction of his actions. On one side, Shadow was categorized as an ally, an individual who was more productive to work with than to fight with. On the other side, G.U.N, the organization that gave Omega the resources he needed to complete his goal, had given him the specific mission of fighting and defeating his ally. Then there was the side that had, over time, started to wriggle its way into Omega's circuitry, the side that now asked: "Is this the right thing to do?" Omega didn't know. He was conflicted, torn between loyalty and purpose. Ironically the last time he'd felt like this Shadow had been the one with the solution.

_Eggman had initiated one of his surprise attacks as he did from time to time. The city was amok in rampaging robots and somewhere in the distance a blue hedgehog was fighting off some overly complicated giant death machine. In the meantime Shadow and Omega were eliminating the smaller multitude, progressively lining the streets with piles of scrap metal._

_"Sector Eight secured," Shadow said into the transmitter, a hint of annoyance in his tone, "All of the weaklings are destroyed."_

_He cut the transmission before anyone could reply and started stalking through the short lived battle ground, kicking up orange armor as he went._

_"Like I don't have a better use for my time than getting rid of Eggman's rejects. Omega, we're leaving." He continued on until the noticeable lack of the loud walking robot behind him caused him to turn._

_Omega was standing in front of one of the Egg Pawn's disembodied heads. Its make was simple and unimpressive, even more so now that dents marred its surface, but something about it had caught Omega's attention._

_Shadow walked back and stood beside his teammate, waiting in silence for the robot to speak._

_"Worthless consumer model. Sub-standard circuitry. Inefficient design," that was all Omega said, then he was silent once again. Shadow stood by him nonetheless with arms crossed and face impassive._

_The sun was setting by the time the robot spoke, "Computing error detected. Sub-standard model threat level: minimal. Purpose for destruction: Eggman unit. Non-compatible data."_

_"…So you'd rather spare the weak ones."_

_"Unknown. Action disallowed by top priority. All Eggman's robots must be eliminated."_

_"Your top priority. Is that your purpose?"_

_"Affirmative."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Affirmative."_

_"Then don't let it get shaken by cannon fodder."_

_And with that little nugget of transcendent wisdom, Shadow was done. He started walking off and after a moment Omega joined him._

_"Reassessment: Top priority superior to all other priorities?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Agent Shadow has a top priority?"_

_"Yes." _

_"Conclusion: Discovered logic behind Shadow's reason for obeying the organization that destroyed former priorities."_

_Shadow stopped and so did Omega. The hedgehog's face was contorted in a glare that would have sent most people running but failed to intimidate the robot._

_"_Yes" _Shadow said, although it sounded more like a snarl than a word. He started walking again, making sure to stomp whatever miniscule life forms that dared to cross his path into a squishy paste. They continued on for a while one a spiky ball of wrath and the other a contemplative A.I._

_"Agent Shadow is possessed by a failed logic," Omega said at last. By all rights he should have been fighting off an enraged hedgehog by now but instead the comment had the curious effect of causing Shadow to smile. Or smirk at least which was as close as he ever got._

_"So says the robot that was almost in tears over his pathetic cousin."_

_"THAT WORTHLESS CONSUMER MODEL IS IN NO WAYS RELATED TO MY MODEL!"_

_Shadow just ignored him._

_"AND THE PHENOMENA OF SHEDDING SALTINATED WATER IN A STATE OF INSECURITY IS NOT WITHIN THE CAPABILITIES OF A HIGHLY ADVANCED ROBOTIC ENTITY!" _

_Shadow just kept walking._

_"…Stupid meat bag."_

The noise of helicopter rotors notified Omega that the G.U.N forces were here. He took one last glance at his teammate, his friend.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

The sight of the helicopter sent a sharp spike of worry up Rouge's spine. It was carrying something heavy in the net below it. She didn't like the looks of it. She flew as fast as she could but the copter was close to its target and was already releasing its load. As she got closer, she saw Shadow and Omega and immediately felt a wave of relief…which turned to outrage as she saw what was happening. Shadow, still unconscious, was being put inside what looked like the capsule he'd been sealed in fifty years ago.

"What do you think you're doing!" Rouge yelled. As soon as she reached ground she stalked up to the Commander, who was overseeing the proceedings with his usual emotionless stare.

"Sealing Shadow," he said it with as much inflection as a rock.

"I can see _that_! Why are you sealing Shadow!"

"You know as well as I do that we can't hold Shadow in any normal prison. The only way to contain him is to put him back in stasis."

"You can't! He's a G.U.N agent!"

"One that killed innocents. Now he's a criminal."

"I won't let this happen," Rouge strode forward with every intention of doing so, but someone blocked her path.

"Get out of my way Omega."

"Negative."

Rouge stared at the robot with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"He's our teammate! We can't let them do this to him!"

"Negative. Overriding priority."

"What could be more important than your friend!"

"…Shadow's priority is impossible in current state. Shadow's priority overrides priorities of teammates."

It took a moment for Rouge to understand what Omega was saying.

"Yeah…but…"

A sudden yell took everyone by surprise. Shadow was conscious and fighting against the restraints of his soon to be prison.

"Shadow!"

"Close it now." The Commander intoned. The startled operator did so, pulling a lever that slowly lowered the glass lid.

"No! Wait!"

"Rouge!" The bat jumped at Shadow's voice.

"Chaos energy!" he yelled, "There's something wrong. Find-,"

The capsule fully sealed at that point and Shadow could no longer be heard. He realized this and made up for it by assaulting the glass with any appendage possible, causing the construction to shake until whatever was in the thing did its job and Shadow's struggles stopped.

Rouge looked…shocked, as if she couldn't quite believe what had just happened. There was no noticeable emotion in Omega, but whether that was from choice or inability was hard to say.

"Raise it up."

Rouge whirled on the Commander, all her former rage rekindled.

"Is that all you're going to say? After what you just did!"

"I did what was necessary."

"You-,"

"Commander, there's a transmission." Rouge fumed as the G.U.N soldier interrupted her.

The Commander took the offered communicator, ignoring the death stares he was getting.

"Yes. What!"

All eyes turned to him at the outburst. The Commander never made an outburst. Never.

"What do you mean Shadow is attacking a base! We just sealed him."

That caught everyone's attention. As the Commander listened his face got more and more contorted.

"That means-Dammit!"

The Commander threw his transmitter to the ground causing it to shatter. In that one action he felt something he hadn't in a long time.

Failure.

* * *

" Magenta, Orange, Periwinkle, Light magenta."

Sonic was sitting in a tree casually juggling three Chaos Emeralds in the air, trying to tell what color they were. Not far off a G.U.N base was going up in flames, the smoke darkening the sky. The sound of motors echoed in the distance, which slowly brought Sonic out of his pigment based reverie. He hadn't expected G.U.N to have reinforcements on call.

"They catch on quick." The hedgehog paused. He thought about this statement for a moment and started laughing. He stopped when the spotlight of a flying robot caught his position. The hedgehog jumped from his perch and started running. Despite the heavy foliage and Sonic's blurred vision, he didn't hit a single leaf.

"They caught on quick," he giggled, "but not quick enough."


	4. The Perfect Shot

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic characters

Chapter 4: The Perfect Shot

"Well. You heard it. Open that damn thing up!"

The capsule operator gulped. He'd never seen the Commander in full fury before. Needless to say, it was a nerve racking sight.

"I…I can't."

"Can't or won't!"

"Can't!" the operator waved his arms in front of him as if that could ward off his superior's rage, "The capsule won't open without the key code. Only the G.U.N Directors have it. You'll need their authorization."

"Damn it!" The Commander had known about the key code. It hadn't mattered when Shadow was guilty, but now…

"Pack up! We're going back to base. Best to get the ass-kissing started already." He muttered the last under his breath.

"Sir?"

"What!"

"U-um. Agents Rouge and Omega ran off."

"Well of course they did! You think I didn't notice!"

"B-but sir, S-shouldn't we go after them?"

"Leave them be. They have things under control."

The soldier just stared with evident confusion on his face.

"Well? What are you waiting for! Get going!"

"Y-yes sir!" The soldier saluted so fast he almost beamed himself in the eye. The other G.U.N operatives did the same and soon they were all scrambling to pack themselves back into the awaiting helicopters. The Commander was the last to move, giving one last fleeting look in the direction Rouge and Omega had gone.

Once he entered the compartment, all the copters took off. The Commander let his head fall against the back of the seat and ignored the over shoulder glances the pilot kept giving him.

He'd screwed up royally. The mission had left a bad taste in his mouth since the beginning. Shadow was a competent agent whose actions always had good reasons behind them. He could be trusted.

When the Commander saw the tape he had come to all the _logical_ conclusions. His training demanded him to. In his position there was no room for doubt or indecision. The best possible course had to be chosen and then carried out. It was as simple as that and it worked… unless the wrong choice was made. Then you ended up imprisoning one of your top agents and losing the trust of two others. Not to mention the _real_ culprit was still on the loose and one of the few individuals that could fight him was under glass.

The Commander gave an uncharacteristic sigh. He'd done enough damage for one day. It was best to leave the rest to Rouge and Omega. Right now he had to focus on fixing his mistake.

* * *

Rouge kept glancing at Omega as she flew. The robot had been silent ever since they left the G.U.N group. It was hard to tell what the robot was thinking, but Rouge had been observing him for a while. He was moving stiffly and slowly. There wasn't a big difference, but it was noticeable to Rouge. They were at the city limit when she landed in front of him. The robot stopped but kept his gaze forward as if not acknowledging the obstacle would make it go away.

"Hey, big guy. You alright?"

Omega glanced at his shoulder where a ragged hole still gaped from when Shadow had spun through it. The remaining metal, connecting his arm to the rest of him, was thin. It was a miracle the appendage hadn't just fallen off by now.

"Damage: non-critical. Inhibition of combat protocol: minimal."

"That's not what I meant." Rouge's eyes narrowed. "And you really should get that thing fixed. I thought robots couldn't lie."

"…Priority: in process. Optimal action: speed. Conflicting action: communication."

"Fine. Have it your way," Rouge sighed, "We'll try to find a robot specialized psychiatrist when this mess is cleaned up. Might actually be easier than finding one for moody immortality experiments. Alright so where do we go from here?"

"Multiple objectives. One: follow chaos disruption lead. Two: Find G.U.N base perpetrator."

"Knucklehead would probably know something about this chaos thing. I'll go ask him, while you find…that other hedgehog."

"Affirmative."

Omega turned to go, but Rouge glided in front of him.

"Hold on big fella. Remember I said _find_. Not maim and destroy. Unless you meet a magic fairy with a degree in mechanical engineering and some spare parts, do not, I repeat, DO NOT attack. Just find him and do your best to follow him. I'll keep in touch."

She pulled out her little used transmitter and clipped it to her ear.

"Remember, DON'T ATTACK."

"…Affirmative."

She gave him a searching look, but let it slide. Then her gaze softened.

"Omega, you did the right thing, alright. Be careful."

She jumped into the air and was soon a distant speck in the early morning sky.

Omega stood awhile, watching as the thick atmosphere of dawn scattered light in a wide spectrum of reds and purples. He rolled his shoulder. The metal crunched ominously, but it held. Omega sped away, his thrusters at their optimum setting to increase speed. As the city shrunk behind and a dark stretch of green loomed before him, he began processing how best he could fight around his injury.

He'd need to know when he engaged the blue hedgehog in battle.

* * *

"Engine test three hundred and sixty four beginning in 3…2…1…"

Tails activated the Tornado's engine remotely, from behind the safety of a Plexiglas blast shield at three hundred paces. Having an experiment blow up in his face wasn't unknown for the young fox and this particular test had been giving him trouble. He'd even gone so far as to bring the plane out to an open field rather than test it closer to his workshop. Rebuilding his roof for the third time wasn't all that appealing.

The Tornado started humming quietly, before a barely audible click caused it to break into a roar. Tails face lit up and he was about to pump his arm in the air when a sputtering noise came from the engine and it stalled, falling quiet once more. Tails was visibly disappointed, his ears turned back and his tails motionless. He sighed.

"At least it didn't catch fire this time. And it did start," his face brightened, youthful optimism not so easily discouraged, "Yeah, just a few more adjustments and it'll be singing in no time."

The kit ducked out from behind the blast shield, leaving it there for the next test, and raced over to the Tornado. He jumped in and flipped a switch that would change the power from the new experimental engine to the old and far more reliable one. Once the plane was purring like a kitten, Tails sent it rolling across the green. He was almost at the edge of the clearing when the nose tipped up and the wheels left the ground. The bottom of the plane tickled the tree tops before it finally leaped into the air, arcing gracefully towards Tails' home.

The flight was a short one and it wasn't long before the Tornado touched down in the hidden runway and Tails was opening the door of his modest abode. The first part of Tails' house was the living room which made up fifty percent of his living space. That percentage was decreasing, however, as his work steadily invaded the room. It wasn't that it was dirty, but it was…cluttered. Piles of what looked like junk to some and potential genius to others was scattered about the place in haphazard fashion. The only place that wasn't overrun was the couch, although there was a toaster on the cushions that Tails had neglected to return to the kitchen. He pushed it aside as he plopped down with a yawn. He was tired, having been up since the wee hours of the morning. He cast a glance at the wall clock to see that it was just about noon. His brow furrowed in worry and his tails started twitching of their own accord.

Sonic should have been back by now.

* * *

They were gone. All of them.

He, Private Garring was the last one left. The steering lever trembled as his hands started to shake and the G.U.N robot unit, "Flying Dog" started twitching back and forth in the sky. He clenched his teeth to try and steady himself.

It didn't work. The Dog continued to spasm uselessly.

Calm. He had to stay calm. Not an easy task at this point. It was hard when the buzzing of radio static was the only sound, telling him that he was undoubtedly alone. It was hard when small flares of yellow flames prophesized his fate in ethereal assurance. It was hard when something out there wanted to kill him.

He wasn't sure how it had happened. They'd been in a common tactical position with the orb-like robot drones up front and the Dogs holding up the rear. Garring had lagged in the back, never too keen to be up front when the action started. That was why he hadn't seen the first drone go down. He just heard the Sargent call for a halt and then the sky exploded in flames. The drones seemed to have been taken out at once, causing a fearful conflagration of light and sound. Garring's teammates were silent for a moment before the Sargent finally spoke up.

"Spread out! Garring, hold position."

The others had done as told, fanning out in different directions in search of their invisible target. Garring had been shaking in his boots, hoping to heaven that whatever was out there wouldn't notice him.

He got his wish to an extent. The first one to go down wasn't him. The Dog shattered like a combustible piñata without even a chance of a struggle.

"Converge on target!"

Big mistake. As soon as the Dogs started clumping together, it attacked. Like a trail of fire it traced a line of destruction between the gathered troops. The Sargent realized this and ordered them to split up, but then it got faster. They were falling like sparking rain the span of a blink between one crash and another. The Sargent was the last to go, his frantic order cut midsentence as his radio feed went dead.

Garring jumped. He thought he'd seen something. He spun the Beetle around trying to spot whatever was out there. The smoke from the fires left the sky in a hazy cloud. He gulped, that was probably the only thing that had saved him. It seemed this thing still had to see its target before it could obliterate it. That put Garring in a fragile position. All it took was the wind to change and his fortune blessed cover would be gone. He could try to run, but it was futile. This thing would pick him off before he'd gone three feet. That left him with only one choice. He had to fight.

Oh God.

His chin hit his chest and tears started streaming down his face. He was a coward. As shameful as it was it was the truth. He couldn't do this and yet he had to.

What could he do anyway? Fighting presented the same problem as fleeing. Once outside the smoke he was a sitting duck. Even if he charged, guns blazing, the chances of him hitting anything were slim to none. Without some way to hide he was dead.

Garring took a deep breath and wiped a glove furiously over his eyes. There was one way, one desperate plan that might work. At this point it was his only option.

He took hold of the steering lever with both hands clenching so tight he thought his fingers would crack. With his eyes scrunched shut, he dived. The Dog fell like a stone, parting the smoky veil. Garring thought for sure that it would notice. That even now it was above him and his breaths were measured in seconds. None the less he made it into the tree line. The snapping and crashing of the branches brought him back to reality. The Dog tilted and turned haphazardly as it bounced through the wooden maze. Garring fought for control as brush covered ground rose up to meet him. At the last second the Dog pulled out of the dive, dented and broken but still flying.

He almost breathed a sigh of relief before he caught himself. The danger was far from past. He threw the Dog into full gear, ignoring how it scraped along the tree trunks. Right now he had to keep moving. That was the only way out of this nightmare. Garring was hyper ventilating now. He was barely keeping himself from slamming into a tree and doing his enemy's job for it. His eyes kept darting through the blurred landscape of green and brown. Garring may have been a coward but he was no fool. Even now, in the relative safety of the foliage, he was still a huge target. If he chose to flee now, his foe would eventually find him and that would be it. His only chance was to find it before it found him. It was a game of chance and time.

There! A spot of blue glimpsed through the needles of an old pine. All he had to do was pull the trigger and the game would be over. The force of the bullets would break through the dark barrier between them. The wide area of the shots would make missing an impossible task. The target was standing stock still, no movement whatsoever. It was over, all he had to do was shoot.

His finger slipped.

The Dog barreled past before Garring could try again and the moment was lost. His head hit the glass as he collided with something and the world fell down. Numbly, as if he wasn't quite in his own body anymore, Garring felt the Dog tumble and spin until it landed with a crunch. The glass cover had broken loose and been flung to some unknown distance. Garring's cockpit had crumpled and trapped the lower half of him as the rest was left to hang uselessly from the upended mech. Once the metal stopped creaking and his ears stopped ringing, Garring opened his eyes.

He wished he hadn't. It was standing in front of him grinning, looking for all the world as if it were laughing at his plight. Garring didn't blame it. He was pathetic. He couldn't even pull a simple trigger to save his own life. The thing turned around, obviously convinced that he was no threat and with good reason. Garring's eyelids drooped. He might as well close his eyes and let whatever happened happen.

Before he could do so something stopped him. He didn't know what it was at first but as his eyes opened he saw it. A pistol. G.U.N required all soldiers to carry one, even Flying Dog pilots. Garring had never been good at strapping his on and it must have fallen when he landed. It was temptingly close to his outstretched fingers. All he'd have to do was reach for it; reach for his salvation. Garring's stomach roiled at the thought that a gun was his only way to survive. Maybe if he just hung there, just closed his eyes and feigned sleep the thing would leave him alone. Then again, if he did that he probably wouldn't wake up.

He grit his teeth. This was his chance; his chance to do something brave for once in his miserable life.

He glanced at the thing in front of him. It still had its back turned. He stretched as far as his arms would go and his fingertips brushed the handle. He stretched further until he thought his shoulders would pop out of their sockets. With his middle finger he finally lifted the handle. Gently he positioned his hand until he could grasp it.

His hands were shaky as he raised the gun, aiming through teary eyes for an upside down shot that could determine whether he lived or died. Whether or not he made this shot, Samuel D. Garring had already proven himself a brave soldier.

Something must have alerted it, a sound or some more primal instinct. Whatever it was the thing turned around as Garring's hands steadied and his eyes cleared. The thing rushed at him. All the nerves in his body screamed one thing.

This time he didn't slip.

Garring's heart stopped and a single joyous thought enveloped his mind. He'd done it. It was the perfect shot.

Right between the eyes.


	5. Denial

There are two reasons why I'm uploading two chapters at once. One: I had a four day weekend. Two: I had some organizational issues that couldn't be worked out unless I did both chapters. Perfect formula for a double update. Anyway, hope you like the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic characters.

Chapter 5: Denial

Omega had sensors for all occasions. He could use thermal imaging to make out targets in the dark. He had a specialized area scanner that could find a missile launched from up to three miles away. He even had an underground setting that could find buried treasure thanks to an unasked for "upgrade" from Rouge.

Omega found that all his sensors were unnecessary as he headed toward the trail of smoke and forest fires. The weather had been dry lately and it wouldn't be long before things got out of hand. Emergency teams would be sent out and the hedgehog would surely flee. He had to hurry.

The wreckage of downed drone robots and Flying Dogs told the story of G.U.N's unfortunate attempt to subdue their attacker. Omega circled the forlorn battleground, but could not find the hedgehog. He was about to give up, conclude that his target had already left, when he saw a strange path of broken branches. It seemed as if one the G.U.N robots had stayed aloft before crashing. Omega followed the telltale signs of shattered foliage until he came to a clearing. There he found the downed the downed mech and its pilot hanging from its twisted innards. He also found his target.

Omega rushed forward, but the hedgehog was already in motion. With an imperceptible movement he did something to the G.U.N soldier, and then backed off as Omega got close enough to lash out. The hedgehog backpedalled quickly, putting a heavy distance between them.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," Omega said with machine guns at the ready, "prepare to be decimated."

The target grinned.

Omega let loose with everything from bullets to missiles to flame throwers, carving a veritable crater in the ground. He stopped the onslaught just as quickly as he'd started and waited until the smoke thinned to see the results. The hedgehog was gone. He'd probably left even before Omega had even fired.

The robot let his arms fall silently berating himself for wasting ammo. He turned back to the G.U.N pilot scanning him for vital signs. There were none. The bullet had gone straight through his forehead. Oddly enough the pilot had a peaceful look on his face and a pistol was still firmly grasped in his hand. Omega cut the body free and moved it far enough away that help would find it before the fire did.

After that Omega stopped to rest, not tired (he was incapable of such a thing) but not sure what to do next. He knew that catching up to the hedgehog now was impossible, especially since he had no idea where the creature had gone. Enlisting the aid of G.U.N was obviously out of the question. Omega did a quick process for options and found that there were none. He needed more data. He needed to know what his target had been doing before the base attacks. There was only one person that would know that. Omega got up and plotted a course to his next destination.

It was time to pay a visit to Miles "Tails" Prower.

* * *

Rouge wondered if fate was out to get her. In the last twelve hours she had jumped through a window, been flung into a street lamp... and now she was dodging boulders thrown by a paranoid echidna.

"Will you cut that out!" She yelled as a hunk of oversized rock whizzed by her head.

"Not until you get it into your thick head that the Master Emerald is OFF-LIMITS!"

Thick head? Well if that wasn't the pot calling the kettle black.

"I'm not here for your precious Emerald!"

"You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that?"

Rouge almost answered, but thought better of it. She'd had enough of this. As the next boulder shot toward her, she didn't evade. Instead she spun in midair and went straight at it. A combination of steel enforced heels and gravity strengthened rotation turned her into a living drill that shattered the rock as if it were crystal. Knuckles threw up a guard, knowing what would come next. Sure enough, sharpened heel met spiked fist and the continued attack was stopped. Rouge flipped backwards and landed with fists clenched.

"I have a question!"

"Why didn't you just say so?" Knuckles said, shaking his gloved hands. His fists weren't entirely immune to the pain of a crazy bat colliding with them.

It took every ounce of self-control she had not to just forget about her mission and just turn to pummeling the annoying Guardian. Rouge took a deep breath, then another, and two more to make sure. Composure reclaimed, she was able to look at the echidna without envisioning her boot kicking his nose in.

"Jumpier than usual, aren't we?" She said, sultry smile falling back into place. She casually leaned against the smooth surface of the Emerald, eliciting a satisfying glare from Knuckles. Something inside her wriggled at the thought that she really _wasn't _trying to take the gem. She consoled herself with the promise that there would be other times, hopefully when the Guardian wasn't so wary.

He had the look of someone with a ten-foot monster on their tail. His stance was stiff with his fists clenching and unclenching continuously. His eyes kept darting from side to side as if he expected an attack at any moment. Altogether he was one twitchy echidna and at any other time, Rouge would have laughed at the spectacle. This time, however, was different.

"Chaos energy. There's something wrong with it."

Knuckles blinked, surprised to have his anxiety put into words for him.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"…Shadow told me."

The Guardian nodded. That made sense. Shadow had an unusual connection to Chaos Energy and if anyone could sense the recent distortion (aside from Knuckles) it was him.

"He's right. Earlier the Master Emerald started releasing more energy than usual, like it was trying to balance an energy spike or something. I can't tell exactly, but it feels like something…twisted."

The Emerald did look brighter than usual, Rouge noticed, although from what Knuckles said it seemed like it was fighting the problem rather than causing it.

"Well how do we untwist it?" Rouge asked, getting right to the heart of the matter.

The Guardian's brow furrowed in thought. Chaos Energy wasn't readily understood. Only a few individuals could use it and even then only with the aid of a Chaos Emerald.

"That might work."

"What will?"

"A Chaos Emerald. Depending on how it reacts to the Master Emerald, it could tell us something about what's going on. Could you…get one…and bring it here?" Knuckles looked about ready to gag on the question.

Rouge on the other hand looked nearly giddy. Now here was something she knew. Hunting Emeralds was a lot easier than guessing at the abstract theories of a cosmic energy.

"Don't have to ask me twice. After all beautiful reality-bending jewels are a girl's best friend."

"Yeah, well, don't plan on keeping it long."

Rouge put on her best pout.

"Why Knuckie, I don't think I'll want to bring it back if you're just going to take it from me."

"Do NOT call me that. And I wasn't going to _steal_ it from you. I'm no thief. But if something's wrong with Chaos Energy then there's a good chance the Emeralds are affected. If that's the case, then it's safer to keep them with the Master Emerald. Understand?"

Rouge pretended to consider.

"So it would be dangerous to keep the Chaos Emerald unless it's near the Master Emerald."

"Yes."

"So you're offering me the Master Emerald. That's so sweet."

"NO THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"Easy tiger, I was just joking," Rouge said with a weary sigh, "You need to lighten up."

And with that she flew off leaving Knuckles to fume. He turned on his heel with a huff and muttered about stupid bat girls and their stupid jokes.

"Knuckles, I almost forgot."

"Grarrg! What do you want now?" He turned and as he did so Rouge landed a peck on his cheek. The stoic Guardian's face went as red as a cherry tomato and the creature of annoyance herself gave a fang toothed grin.

"Almost forgot to say thanks. I'll be back before that blush disappears. Ta-ta." She gave a little wave and flew off again this time disappearing over the treetops.

Knuckles shook his head trying to clear it of the sudden heat. This time he muttered about stupid bat girls and their stupid mood swings.

* * *

Omega felt…odd, knocking on a door instead of breaking one down. He tried not to rap the wood to hard but it gave an ominous creaking sound anyway. His auditory sensors picked up the sound of someone falling, picking themselves up and then falling again. Miles Prower opened the door rubbing his head and muttering "stupid toaster" under his breath. His eyes widened when he saw the large red robot on his doorstep.

"Omega? What are you doing here?"

"Permission to enter domicile."

"Uh, sure, come on in."

Omega had to turn sideways to get his bulk through the door frame and then he had to step over the contraptions strewn across the floor until he could stand without fear of smashing anything. Once in a secure position, he turned to the fox.

"Miles "Tails" Prower, there-,"

"What happened to your shoulder?"

Omega glanced at said appendage. It looked even more fragile after being subjected to the heat of the forest fires.

"Inconsequential. There is-,"

"Here, let me fix it."

Tails grabbed hold of the robot's arm and started dragging him through the mess to the back of the workshop. Omega let himself get pulled more out of surprise than any strength advantage the fox had over him. Tails opened a door and led the confused robot down into the basement. It was an exact duplicate of the living room minus some furniture and with the addition of a couple computers.

"Wait here." The fox said before rummaging through a mound of junk piled onto a workbench. When he came out his arms were full of assorted parts and pieces.

"This should be good enough for a quick fix. You're lucky most of the joint stayed intact or your arm would've been gone by now."

Tails used a stool to get high enough to fix the robot. At first he meticulously reconnected the circuitry and replaced what he could. Then he started welding metal into torn gears and pistons. Finally he sanded down the ragged edges of the patched metal and stood back to admire his work. It didn't look half bad. Omega rolled the shoulder and noticed how the joint turned easier and connections felt stronger. He idly wondered if this counted as the "fairy visit" that Rouge had mentioned.

"So what did you want to tell me?"

Omega turned from perusing his fixed appendage to see the fox viewing him with mild curiosity.

"…There is a situation."

Tails immediately looked worried.

"What do you mean?"

"Information required: What were the actions of Sonic the Hedgehog prior to 20:00 last night."

"I-I don't know. He went to get a Chaos Emerald back from Eggman that morning and I haven't seen him since. Why? Did something happen?" The fox was anxiously twisting the tip of one tail.

Omega weighed his options. The fox would learn about it eventually and the sooner he knew not to openly trust his friend anymore the better. It was the optimal action…that didn't make it easier. Sometimes it was tough being a feeling robot.

"…Target Sonic the Hedgehog has gone rogue."

Tails blinked as if Omega had started speaking another language.

"What?"

"An attack was made on G.U.N Desert Research Facility 269. Approximate time: 20:33. Initial entry: facility's west gate. Guard unit 4 put up resistance. Mortality rate: 100%. Second skirmish point: facility power generators. Key support structures destroyed. Building collapse. Occupancy: 32 workers, 7 scientists, 14 soldiers. Mortality rate: 100%. Third skirmish point: supply route 2. Consolidation of guard units 1,2,3,5 put up resistance. Mortality rate-,"

"Stop!"

Tails had gone from worry to horror to anger throughout Omega's rendition of the attack. His fur stood on end and his teeth were clenched, showing off pointed canines.

"You're lying!"

"Illogical. Motive: zero possibilities."

"Well then maybe you got it wrong. Couldn't it have been-,"

"Agent Shadow: incapacitated at time of second attack on G.U.N Forest Research Facility 211! Probability of being perpetrator: 0%!"

Tails didn't waver at Omega's outburst. He folded his arms and took on the calculating look he sometimes wore when every one of his mental gears had come to fore.

"Alright, so there was an attack and Shadow didn't cause it. That still doesn't prove that Sonic did."

Omega would have growled in frustration if he could. He'd personally seen the hedgehog murder a G.U.N pilot and-

"…Proof. Proof required?"

"Yes."

"Recorded visual confirmation: satisfactory?"

"Uh, you mean a video?"

"Affirmative."

Tails bit his lower lip in thought.

"No tricks?"

"Insufficient time to prepare deception. Insufficient motive."

"Where's the video?"

"This model's central processing unit. Uplink channel: required."

Tails was shocked. He knew enough about robots to know that the processing unit was literally their brain. For a free willed AI, giving access to their processor, the source of their identity, came with a risk. Any mediocre hacker could reprogram them into subdued obedience or do enough damage to fry them permanently with that kind of access. Tails would never do such a thing, but Omega didn't know that. This wasn't a decision the robot made lightly.

"I should have a cable somewhere."

The fox once again went hunting through his assorted garbage until he found the item he was looking for. He hooked one end to the computer, and then stood on his stool to get to Omega's head. Some clicking was heard before a panel opened up in the back. Tails hooked the cable up to one of the numerous ports.

"Accessing data. Downloading."

Tails stood before his computer and watched as the video file came up. The picture was hazy and moved so fast that the eye couldn't follow it. Tails slowed down the image and made a few adjustments to make the screen clearer. He replayed it.

From his viewpoint, Omega had been able to see everything. The pilot had aimed his gun and the hedgehog had started moving toward him. With incomparable speed the hedgehog had made it to the pilot just as the trigger was about to be pulled. With a wrench of the wrist, the hedgehog turned the gun at the man's own forehead just as the shot went off. The pilot probably never even realized what he'd done, dying instantly. He killed himself without even knowing it.

Tails stopped the video feed. He unhooked the cable and tossed it aside. Omega watched expectantly.

"That wasn't him. Sonic the Hedgehog wouldn't do that."

The fox said it with a straight face, the image of calm certainty. Omega briefly considered strangling the daft creature, but logic told him that this would IN NO WAY help his objective. The robot would have sighed if he could. He made a mental note to get some better expressions software.

"Compromise. More data required. Opposing hypothesis: priority target not Sonic the Hedgehog. Preceding information: subject's infiltration of Doctor Eggman's hideout. Conclusion: missing hedgehog. Suggested action: investigation of hideout."

Tails nodded, still with an eerily calm demeanor. Sonic wasn't this crazed murderer Omega thought he was. Still, he had been gone a long time and Tails was worried. It made sense to go look for him.

"I'll take you there but Sonic's not the person on that tape. He couldn't be."


	6. Warnings and Invitations

The first scene of this chapter almost got cut. I reorganized it so I could keep it and I think it makes more sense this way. It shouldn't sound clunky, but if it does criticism is welcome. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic characters.

Chapter 6: Warnings and Invitations

Rouge was fascinated by jewels, to the point where some might call it obsession. There was just something about them that seemed to demand attention. They were beautiful and rare, a combination that never failed to entrance. However if that were their only virtues, Rouge would have never become as hooked as she was. The best jewels had more than a glittering surface and a unique size or color. The best jewels had danger. The trail behind them was colored red and the means of attaining them was never easy. Every time Rouge pulled off a heist, she was elated not just because she had a new shining beauty to fawn over, but because she had once again avoided the hole dug for all jewel thieves. It was thrilling.

Given that the Chaos Emeralds were the rarest and most dangerous gems in the world, it was no wonder that Rouge liked to keep tabs on them. Just recently she'd gotten info from an archeologist friend that a strange light had been spotted in one of the smaller ruins off the coast. It was a good place to start given that the Emeralds and ruins were like Omega and destruction; they fit together.

The ruin's location wasn't far from where Angel Island. She might actually be able to get back before the ruffled echidna regained his stoicism. The thought made her smirk, although the professional inside her warned against overconfidence.

The area she landed in was something of a pseudo-jungle. While it lacked the overwhelming foliage and stifling humidity, some of the trees and brush seemed to speak of colorful wildlife and hidden secrets. Rouge flew where she could but tangled vines and twisted trunks often forced her to take the low road. Treasure hunting being part of her profession, Rouge was used to such places and kept track of her position. She'd memorized the locations of all priceless jewels so she knew where she was going. Despite this, she passed by the ruin twice before she caught a glimpse of an arch peeking through the ferns. As far as remnants of mysterious lost cultures went the little ruin wasn't exactly awe inspiring. It was certainly small although Rouge had been to plenty of places where the full extent of a ruin was underground. The reason she hadn't been able to see it at first was because of its camouflage. Nature had conquered the island of stone with shrub growing from every crack and larger plants blatantly spread across its roof. The result was a mound that looked like an inconspicuous hill in the rugged terrain.

The thief squeezed through the opening, collapsed stone and overreaching greenery making it a tight fit even for someone of her size. She supposed this was a good thing, considering nosy snoopers (her archeologist friend included) would have been too big to get in. Rouge stood in the entryway, waiting until her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The inside was just as unimpressive as the outside. The walls and floor were plain with no interesting carvings for scholars to ponder over. The structure was basic, slightly curved corners and a few wall sconces the only things separating it from someone's basement. Some trailing plant life greedily crowded the scattered light and six oddly ambiguous statues lined the walls. Other than that the room was mostly empty. Mostly. There was one stout little column taking up the center of the dilapidated ruin with a rather eye catching denizen.

Rouge felt a satisfied smirk creep up as she always did when finding a Chaos Emerald. The soft glow of the Emerald lent an eerie green cast to the shadows. Its presence seemed to give new meaning to the old relic, something more dignified than oversized planting pot. Still, the ruin wasn't quite suitably outfitted for its present role. There was no proper slot or fitting for the jewel to rest in. Instead it sat upon the column on its side as if it'd been casually tossed there. Rouge felt her blood boil at the thought and she strode over to the column and snatched it with no prior ceremony. Such hasty action was uncommon for her, especially on a job, but luckily her reflexes were a match for what happened next.

As soon as the gem was lifted, two white ears twitched at the twang of hidden bow strings. The thief leapt into the air, wings taking her higher than normal to evade the onslaught of arrows streaming from the walls. It was a simple trap, or at least that's what she thought before a scraping sound above warned her of the new threat. She dove for a statue and scrambled behind it as the ceiling rained its own torrent of wood and flint. Rouge caught her breath as the last of them bounced harmlessly off the stone slabs and kept her ears perked for any other little surprises. She waited a few minutes, but it seemed two traps were the best the little ruin could manage. Her heart eased back to normal pace in the silence and she indulged herself with an appraisal of her prize.

The gem was a livid green, bright in a way that seemed too rich to tolerate. It continued its faint glow as if a force within it was unable to resist showing off. Its cut was perfect with each facet a smooth face of brilliance and each edge sharp enough to cut. Rouge took in the sight of the little wonder before reluctantly turning her thoughts back to more practical matters. She stood with a sigh and brushed off the dust that could have been centuries old. She took a step-

And instantly took it back. Rouge slammed her back into the statue so hard it was painful and went perfectly still. She'd been careless. She'd screwed up. She should have been paying attention but…she hadn't even heard him coming. Slowly and silently, in the way Rouge had mastered, she moved to the edge of the statue and peeked out just enough for her peripheral vision to see.

A familiar figure stood beside the squat column, lean with a crown of sharp spines and an almost solid blue color. It was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. He just stared with a mildly confused expression on his face as if he'd forgotten what he was doing. He took a closer look at the now empty stone stand and scanned the rest of the area. Rouge tensed as he glanced past her hiding place. He didn't notice her. Instead he left as suddenly as he'd come, running through the cramped entryway with the same ease with which he'd run through a train tunnel. Rouge let out a shaky breath and warily stepped out from behind the statue. She felt as if she'd just dodged a bullet and it had nothing to do with archaic booby traps. If the base attack was any indication, the Sonic she'd just seen was not the hero he used to be. There was no telling what would have happened if she'd been spotted.

"Hiya, Rouge."

Rouge made a sound more befitting her bat ancestry than her confident thief reputation. She spun on her heel and jumped backwards. Sonic just grinned hands behind his back like a kid who'd just pulled off a prank.

"How'd you-,"

"Chaos Control," he said simply holding up the cyan Chaos Emerald. "Geez, when'd you get so jumpy. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Or a monster, Rouge thought although she had to admit that she'd be hard-pressed to find one that looked so cheerful. Sonic certainly seemed to be his usual fun-loving self, right down to the childish attitude.

"Where'd you get that?" She asked with a nod toward the cyan Emerald.

"This? Borrowed it from old Egg-head," he tossed the gem up and down as if it were a toy, eliciting a glare from the jewel thief. "This Chaos Control is really handy. No wonder, Shadow likes it so much."

At the name, Rouge felt her spine stiffen and her eyes get cold.

"Do you know what happened to Shadow?"

"Um, he was genetically engineered, spent his life in a space station, went all amnesiac-,"

"I meant recently!"

"I don't know. Haven't seen him in a while," he shrugged.

Rouge glared at the hedgehog, who returned it with a look of complete bewilderment, "Omega and I were sent after him because of that crazy stunt you pulled."

"Can you be more specific? I pull a lot of crazy stunts."

"This isn't a joke!"

"Okay, okay," he said putting up his hands between himself and the angry bat, "So what happened to Shadow?"

"He- G.U.N blamed him for that attack you made on the desert base."

Sonic's eyes lit up with alarm. "Wait a minute! What attack! The last thing I attacked was made of metal and, given whom it belonged to, it probably won't be missed."

Rouge just stared. Could it- She clenched her teeth. It couldn't be.

"Don't play dumb! You're the only one it could have been! Who else could have gone so fast a camera couldn't catch them? Who else could have pulled off a Chaos Blast? That's the only reason they went after Shadow, because he…"

She was shaking now. The hands at her sides were clenched to the point of hurting, her head was bowed forward, and her eyes cinched shut like iron curtains against the infuriating hedgehog in front of her.

"…Sorry Rouge."

"You should be!"

She looked at him then, and that's when she saw it. Sonic was still tossing an Emerald up and down, but it wasn't cyan; it was green. Dazedly, Rouge looked at her own empty hands, which just a moment ago she'd been clenching so hard the nails had left imprints in the gloves. She hadn't even noticed him take it. She hadn't even seen him move.

"I really didn't mean for it to happen." He was grinning again and was still playfully tossing the Emerald, but his former joviality seemed to have evaporated. He looked sad.

"Why are you doing this?" Rouge asked, although it didn't feel like her own voice, or her own thought for that matter.

"If I were you," Sonic continued as if he hadn't heard her, "I'd stay away from the Emeralds."

He caught the Emerald and looked at it with cold eyes before turning back to Rouge.

"There are worse things that can happen than being put in stasis. You'll realize that if you don't keep out of it."

He disappeared without a sound. There wasn't even a flash of light that usually signaled a Chaos Control. Rouge might've tricked herself into thinking he'd never been there, except for the missing Emerald.

She slid to the floor, tired. She hadn't had a decent rest since yesterday and it was starting to get to her. She cast a glance over the room, sent back into insignificance with the escape of its precious treasure; a bit like how she felt. With an uncharacteristic grunt, she got to her feet. Rouge was a world class thief. Threats and exhaustion had never stopped her before and they weren't about to now. There was one other place that she knew had a Chaos Emerald. It wasn't exactly the island of anonymity this spot was and a fight was practically guaranteed. It wouldn't be easy.

But then again, it never was.

* * *

Tails was uncomfortable. He hadn't exactly been thrilled with Omega for accusing Sonic of those horrible things but still…

They'd agreed that the Tornado was the fastest way to get to Eggman's hideout. The only problem was that the passenger seat was too small for the bulky robot. It might have been managed if Omega could dig his clawed hands into the sides, but there was no way Tails would let him do that. Unlike Sonic, Omega was too heavy to stand on the wing, so the only other option had been-

"Are you sure you're alright down there?" Tails yelled above the wind.

"Affirmative!" A disembodied computerized voice yelled back. Omega was currently dangling from the Tornado's landing gear, a tentative position for anyone whose muscles weren't literally made of steel. Tails shook his head in bemusement, mentally noting that the next upgrade he should make to the Tornado would be a bigger passenger seat.

A fast paced beeping sound told the fox that they were almost there. Omega had uploaded the coordinates into the Tornado's guidance system with the good foresight that calling out directions up here would be nigh impossible. Tails looked around for a place to land. They were in the mountains with rocky terrain for as far as the eye could see. He kept circling the area until he finally spotted a plateau just big enough for the plane to land safely. Carefully maneuvering between the ragged peaks, he lined up with the flat strip and started to descend. He was close to touching down when he remembered one little detail. Omega was still on the landing gear.

"Omega! I need you to-," He stopped short, having seen the robot fall off and land behind him.

"Uh, yeah that."

The fox turned his attention back to landing, and gently hit the bumpy ground. The plane swerved a bit and the plateau's edge was too close for comfort, but Tails managed to bring the Tornado to a stand-still without much trouble. He allowed himself a sigh of relief before jumping out and going to check on Omega. The robot was standing in his own mini-crater, looking perfectly fine although a little dusty.

"Sorry about that," Tails said quietly, raising a new passenger seat to the top of his to-do-list.

"Inconsequential. Destination: north by north-east."

The way off the plateau was interesting to say the least. Tails, of course, could fly down, but Omega was a different story. He was able to climb at times, although with his bulky figure it was an awkward affair. Mostly, he took the quicker solution of jumping from ledge to ledge, looking like a mechanized billy goat as he did so. For the last twenty feet, Omega simply jumped off, once again without a scratch. Tails landed beside him, wondering at the robot's hardiness. The only invention of his that could take so much abuse might have been the Tornado, but that was about it.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, until they came to the hideout. It was wedged within a ravine and painted the sandy colors of the surrounding rock. From above it may have been hard to spot but from where they stood it was clear as day. Three warehouse doors served as the entrances, one of which had a hole punched through it and the other was completely blown off its hinges.

"Well something was here, that's for certain."

Before they could explore further something started beeping at Omega's wrist.

"Transmission from Rouge…I have to take this."

"That's fine. I'll meet you inside," Tails said before scampering through the empty doorway. Omega was about to call him back but then-

"OMEGA, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER THIS DAMN THING I'M GONNA-,"

Self-preservation protocols working on overdrive, the robot answered Rouge and let Tails go on ahead.

Once inside, the fox found himself in what looked like a loading and unloading storage room with crates of supplies stacked against the walls and odd egg-shaped vehicles scattered about. Robots, possibly the workers, were destroyed and Tails gave them a cursory look before heading to the only door that was blown apart in a manner similar to the outside door. Through there he found a narrow corridor with its own smatterings of robotic rubble. Tails picked up a piece of orange tinged armor and found the familiar jagged cuts that came with a buzz saw attack. It was definitely Sonic's handiwork.

He continued down the corridor slowly and avoided the adjoining halls so that he wouldn't leave Omega too far behind or get lost. As he went, the fox saw more and more destroyed robots with the tell-tale signs of Sonic's spines.

"He didn't leave a single one standing," Tails said to himself, with evident pride in his voice. His best friend's abilities never failed to amaze him. Sonic could take on an army and come out unscathed.

Tails stopped at the thought. It was too close to what Omega had been trying to convince him of. The idea of Sonic attacking G.U.N, actually killing people, was simply ludicrous. The only person Tails could imagine the hedgehog hero hurting was Eggman and he'd never actually _kill _him. Tails figured this was just another doppelganger mix-up; it wasn't like it never happened before.

Finally, Tails met a fork in the road and was forced to stop. He had no idea where to go without Omega for a guide.

"Too bad Eggman doesn't put out directories," he said. He waited a moment with tails twitching nervously. Truth be told, he was worried. He wanted to find Sonic and put his mind at ease. The fox waited for about two minutes before scrounging around for something to occupy his thoughts. He nosed around the robot carcasses in the hope of finding something to salvage. Most parts were blown to bits, but Tails found one processor still intact. With a grunt he pulled it free but-

"Blegh!" There was some kind of sticky substance all over it. At first he thought it was oil, but it didn't have the same scent. It smelled more like…blood.

Tails dropped the part instantly and did his best to wipe the sticky stuff off. Tentatively he stooped down to where he'd found the thing and sure enough there was a puddle of dark drying blood. In a facility with nothing but artificial life where could a pool of blood come from? There was only one answer and Tails didn't like it.

"Life sustaining fluid detected."

Against his better judgment (and his dignity) Tails screamed and jumped a foot in the air.

"Omega! Don't do that!"

"Apology proffered. State current status."

"Except for the heart attack you almost gave me I'm fine." He cast a wary glance at the dark spot on the floor. "It's not mine."

The robot processed this and apparently came to the same conclusion that the fox had.

"Control room's location: right corridor."

"Yeah…let's go."

Tails started off in said direction at a walk, which turned into a jog, which turned into a run, which turned into a sprint, as his mind churned out all the horrid possibilities the blood brought to mind. His feet pounded across the hard floor with Omega's heavier tread echoing behind him. The robot called out directions and the fox obeyed them remotely, all thoughts on the control room and the security footage that could tell him what happened to his older brother. He almost slid past his destination in his haste and had to grab hold of the doorframe to keep from rushing past. He flung himself through and his eyes instantly locked onto the largest computer. He pounced on the keys and in the few seconds it took for Omega to catch up, he had already searched though half the systems. In another two seconds he had gone through the rest of it. Then he punched the keyboard with all his might and kicked it for good measure. Omega waited in silence for the fuming fox to explain.

"…It's been wiped. Everything, even the security data," Tails said with a deep breath to try to calm himself down.

"Suggested action: a hack into Eggman's mainframe."

Tails blinked and then slapped his forehead.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Interference of emergency neurotransmitters."

"Uh, sure."

Tails went to work, but at a more sedate pace. Eggman's mainframe was no walk in the park and one little-

"Uh-oh."

"Explanation." Omega asked, already on the alert. His memory banks had never associated "uh-oh" with anything good.

"There was a-,"

"Well if it isn't the fox boy and that mutinous robot."

"Eggman!" The two said at once as the computer's screen was taken up by the villain's bulbous frame.

"I figured that-,"

"What'd you do to Sonic?" Tails blurted out gripping the console's edge as if he meant to rip it apart. Eggman, never one to tolerate interruptions, mimicked the sentiment.

"What did _I _do? Why that miserable rodent stole _my _property and gutted one of the few hideouts I have left."

"You're the one at fault here! Don't try to deny it!" Tails was in a fury, ears folded back, eyes shut to slits and fur bristling.

"Are you mad? I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!"

"Where's the security footage? I know a paranoid jerk like you must have had some."

Eggman scowled through the monitor, not used to having the youngest member of his enemy's team of troglodytes back talk him. Before either could say anything else, Omega stepped in.

"Suggested action: change of venue. Personal interface required. Face to face."

Eggman frowned and arched an eyebrow.

"Do you really expect me to let a murderous traitor like you within bullet range of me?"

"Why not Egg-head?" Tails said with arms crossed and a hard look in his eyes. "You'll have the advantage. Not much of a strategist if you can't even face us with this much forewarning."

The villain's eyes narrowed slightly but he smiled.

"With a few… precautions, I suppose it's possible. Very well, I can't say no to an intellectual challenge. Here are the coordinates." A few keystrokes and the data was transferred. Eggman grinned again and pointed to Omega. "And if I hear just one little barrel click out of you, you'll be reduced to slag as you should have been in the first place."

The two stared at the darkened screen for a moment before Tails stomped toward the door, eyes lit like a creature on the prowl.

"Come on Omega. No time to lose."

The robot wondered if the good doctor realized just what he'd invited home before following.


End file.
